Gabriel bourrelly



No. 62l,2l|. Patented Mar. 14, I899;

a. BOURRELLY.

FOLDING PHOTUGBAPHIG CAMERA.

(Application filed Apr. 10 1897) '(No Model.)

m: Noam: prrsns co. F'HOTO-L'ITHD., WASHINGTON, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

GABRIEL BOURRELLY, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THADEEDOKSZA, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 621,211, dated March14, 1899.

Application filed April 10, 1897. Serial No. 681,548. (No model.)

To all whom it inc/y concern:

Be it known that I, GABRIEL BOUREELLY, engineer, a citizen of theRepublic of France, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Pocket- Caineras, (for which I have obtainedLetters Patent as follows: In France, No. 255,406, dated April 8, 1896,in the joint names of Thade dOksza and myself; in Belgium, No. 120,992,dated April 9, 1896, in the name of Joseph Lenger; in Luxemburg, No.2,486, dated April 11, 1896, in the name of Joseph Longer; in Germany,dated April 15, 1896, No. 95,419, in the joint names of Thade dOksza andmyself, and in Great Britain, No. 8,790, dated'April 25, 1896, in thejoint names of Thade dOksza and myself,) of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to folding cameras which enables the severalparts of the device to be compactly folded together and is adapted toopen and shut after the manner of a book, so that when shut it has theappearance of a book. All its parts are contained within the box, sothat when it is unfolded it forms a complete hand-camera without havingto add any extra parts and when shut all the parts are protected by themetal or other casing, which is covered with any desired material, asleather, textile, and the like.

The construction is simple, strong, durable, and easy of manipulation,requiring but a few seconds to place the parts in working position.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the camera in closedposition, partly broken away to show the back and bellows folded intoone of the sides. Fig. 2 is a similar view, partly in section, showingthe camera ready for use; and Fig. 3 is a vertical central section.

Similar symbols of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

As shown, the camera-box comprises, essentially, three parts, preferablyformed of sheet metal covered with a textile or leather, the front Ashaped like the back of a book, to which the two box shaped sides B arehinged, shaped like the covers of a book and with abut-ting edges 0.These sides when closed form a box that neatly contains the operatingparts folded therein and keeps them from injury. The sides 13 are hingedto the front by the hinges a. The spread of the sides is limited bymeans of stops, which are slotted plates secured to one of the edges 0of the sides 13, in the slots 0 of which a headed -pin orscreW-stop d,secured to the edge of the other side, operates.

The front of the camera, which is also box-shaped, contains a partitionor lens-plate F, which carries the lens D, frictionally or otherwiseinovably held within a barrel E, secured in the center of said partitionor lens-plate. A suitable hole G is provided in the front of the cameradirectly in front of the lens.

The shutter mechanism (not shown) is car ried by the partition F betweenit and the front wall and is to be operated by buttons H I or othersuitable means.

When the camera is closed,a suitable spring catch J on one of the sides,adapted to engage a hole j on the other side, locks the sides to=gether. To open the camera, itis only neces sary to press the button Jsufficiently to disengage it from the hole 7'. An overlapping strip K,attached to one of the sides, covers the meeting edges.

In one of the sides there is pivotally mounted at c thecan1era-back,containin g the ground glass f and spring-ho1ders g g g forkeeping the plate-holders in position in the back.

When the camera is opened, the back is turned outward on its pivot c andbrought to the position shown in Fig. 2, thus forming a triangular rigidstructure. I

A slotted angle-piece i is riveted or otherwise secured in one of thesides, to which a spring-catch h is secured, the nose of which projectsthrough the slot in the angle-piece and engages the edge of thecamera-back. This catch isoperated by a pin 7t, attached thereto andprojecting through a longitudinal slot 72 to the outside of the box, sothat when it is desired to close the camera the pin h is pushed alongthe sloth thus Withdrawing the nose of the catch into the slot in theplate 2' and from under the edge of the back, allowing the latter tofold into place,

The bellows is attached to the back by means of the metallic framing 7t,screwed thereto. This bellows is preferably made of molded soft rubberin the form of a frustum of a pyramid whose larger end is connected tothe back and the smaller end to a ring E, to which the bellows issecured by means of a ligature E or in any other suitable manner. Thisring E passes freely over the barrel E, threaded exteriorly, and isadjustedand held in place by a locking-ring The lens is frictionally orotherwise mounted in the barrel E, so as to be focused by being slid inand out by means of a rack and pinion (not shown) or by any othersuitable means.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A camera comprising a box for the operative appliances composed of abox-shaped front provided with a light-aperture, and sheet-metalbox-shaped sides or covers hinged to said front to open and close likethe covers of a book, and to overlap along their free meeting edges,substantially as set forth.

2. A camera comprisingalens-plate,a lensholder intermediate of its ends,side walls hinged to opposite sides of said plate, a plateholder framepivoted to the rear end of one of said side wallsto swing toward theinner face thereof, means for securing said frame to the opposite wallwhen said walls are spread apart, and a flexible bellows secured to thelens-holder and to said frame, for the purpose set forth.

A photographic camera comprising a lens-plate, a lens-holderintermediate of its ends, box-shaped side walls hinged to opposite sidesof the lens-plate and constructed to overlap along their free meetingedges when folded together, a plate-holder pivoted to one of said wallsto swing toward its inner face,

means for securing the frame to the opposite wall when said walls arespread apart, and a flexible bellows secured to the lens-holderand tosaid frame, for the purpose set forth.

4c. A photographic camera comprising, a lens-plate, a lens-holderintermediate of its ends, box-shaped side walls hinged to opposite sidesof the lens-plate and constructed to overlap along their free meetingedges when folded together, aplate-holder frame pivoted to one of saidrigid walls to swing toward its inner face, means for securing the frameto the opposite wall when said walls are spread apart, and a flexiblebellows secured to said plate-holder frame and ad justably secured tothe lens-holder, for the purpose set forth.

5. A photographic camera comprising a narrow-chambered front providedwith an aperture in its outer wall intermediate of its ends, alens-holder supported in the inner wall of said chamber in line with theaforesaid aperture, and rigid side walls hinged to opposite sides ofsaid front; in combination with a plate-holder frame hinged to the rearend of one of said side walls to swing toward its inner face, and meansfor securing said frame to the opposite side wall when said side wallsare spread apart, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination with the chambered camera-front having an aperture inits front wall intermediate of its ends, a lens-barrel secured to theinner wall of the chamber in line with said aperture, a lensholdermovable longitudinallyin said tube, and box-shaped side walls hinged tothe said chambered front; of a plate-holder frame hinged to one of saidside walls at its rear end to swing toward the inner face of said wall,means for securing said frame to-the opposite wall when said walls areswung apart, and a bellows secured to the frame and adjustably connectedwith the lensbarrel, for the purpose set forth.

. 7. The combination with the chambered camera-front, the side wallshinged to opposite sides of said front, and constructed to overlap alongtheir edges when closed, and a lens-holder supported in the inner wallof said chambered front; of a plate-holder frame hinged to one of theside walls near its rear end to swing toward the inner face of saidwall, a bellows secured to said frame and the lens=holder, and aspring-controlled locking device on the rear side of one of said wallsadapted to engage and lock the corresponding side of the opposite wallwhen said walls are folded,- for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 19th day of March,1897, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GABRIEL BOURRELLY.

Witnesses:

DOUGLAS H. BRANDON, EDWARD 1. MneLnAN.

